Dr. MaryCatherine McDonald | The Bravery of Curiosity in Trauma Healing

This week, Thomas sits down with trauma researcher, life coach, and author Dr. MaryCatherine McDonald, for a conversation on the importance of curiosity in trauma healing, the difficult necessity of turning towards pain, and how to “compost” our wounds into fertile soil for inner growth.

They discuss how to shift away from the isolation that trauma creates and lean into connection, empathy, and shared responsibility as part of the healing process. They frame our conscious inquiry into our suffering as a sort of real-world alchemy that transforms the stagnant energy of the past into an integrated future.

Ultimately, a special kind of courage is required to investigate trauma with openness and curiosity, and we hope this dialogue inspires some of that courage in anyone watching or listening.

✨ Watch the video version of this episode on YouTube:

👉 https://youtu.be/9vLUGEyGBkg

Video episodes are typically posted at 8am PT/ 11am ET

✨ Registration is open for “Foundations of Trauma-Informed Coaching & Consulting.”

This 8-week live online course, co-taught by Thomas Hübl and Amy Elizabeth Fox, is for coaches, consultants, group facilitators, and HR professionals who want to bring greater presence, depth, and trauma-informed awareness to their work with leaders and teams.

The course begins on April 26. Learn more & register here 👉https://traumainformedcertificateprogram.com

✨MaryCatherine McDonald, PhD, is a research professor and life coach who specializes in the psychology of trauma, stress, and resilience. She has been researching, lecturing, and publishing on the neuroscience, psychology, and lived experience of trauma and stress for over a decade. She is passionate about destigmatizing trauma, stress, and mental health issues and reframing our understanding of trauma.

Connect with Dr. McDonald here 👉 https://alchemycoaching.life

Thomas Hübl, PhD, is a renowned teacher, author, and international facilitator who works within the complexity of systems and cultural change, integrating the core insights of the great wisdom traditions and mysticism with the discoveries of science. Since the early 2000s, he has led large-scale events and courses on the healing of collective trauma.

In addition to Attuned, he is the author of Healing Collective Trauma: A Process for Integrating Our Intergenerational and Cultural Wounds. He has served as an advisor and guest faculty for universities and organizations, as a coach for CEOs and organizational leaders, and is currently a visiting scholar at the Wyss Institute at Harvard University.

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✨ Order Thomas and Internal Family Systems founder Dr. Richard Schwartz's co-authored book, Releasing Our Burdens, here:

👉 https://www.releasingourburdens.com

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